


Tragedy

by silverstarfish



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/F, F/M, M/M, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-14 12:30:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8014051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverstarfish/pseuds/silverstarfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry, Ron, and Hermione get their hands on a time turner, and all hell breaks loose when they are forced to use it. However, a mishap on Draco’s part causes the time turner to shatter, resulting in them being stuck in a place where they /really/ should not be. Will they be able to return home, or will they be lured into security as they grow more and more attached to where they end up?</p><p>***PAUSED***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ron Screwed Up

“Go on, Weasel.” Draco’s drawling, snide voice floated through the entrance hall, his grey eyes glittering with malevolence as he leaned against a pillar, Crabbe and Goyle leering behind him. “You were going to do what, exactly?”

 

Ron’s bright red face turned even pinker if possible as he made a gesture that certainly would have earned him a howler from his mother, his voice a low mutter. “Shove off, Malfoy. It’s none of your business.” He said to the blonde boy shortly, turning back towards Harry and Hermione. However, Malfoy’s attention had been caught, and there was absolutely no way he would deny such an opportunity to get Potter and Co. in trouble.

 

You see, they were doing something illegal. Well, not _illegal_ per say, but about as close to illegal as you could get for a bunch of seventeen year old wizards. In Hermione’s closed hand lay a time turner that most definitely should not have been there. How they got their hands on it didn’t really matter, but it was really the fact that they were planning on using it that bothered Draco so much.

 

Malfoy’s smirk widened as Ron turned back towards Potty, waving a lazy hand to dismiss Crabbe and Goyle, his free hand moving so casually towards where they all knew his wand was stored, his pale, pointed face conveying nothing but triumph. “Dumbledore thinks that you can do no wrong, Potty.” Draco spit at the dark haired boy, ice in his grey eyes. “What do you think we show him _this_?”

 

It was quite a fast bit of magic on Draco’s part, for the golden time turner zoomed out of her clutched hands at the silent ‘accio’ charm, landing neatly in Draco’s outstretched fingers, glittering innocently. Harry swore loudly, drawing his wand at once and pointing it squarely between Draco’s eyes, ready to hex him into next week. “Give it here, Malfoy, or I’ll—“ He was cut off by an interjection from Hermione, her face slightly anxious. “Don’t give him another reason to report you, Harry!” she said under her breath, one hand already gripping Ron’s robes to prevent him from jumping the smug faced Malfoy.

 

“Listen to the mudblood, Potty.” Draco said languidly, swinging the time turner back and forth, baiting the golden trio. All they needed to do was cast one spell or lay a finger on him and they would have their asses up in Dumbledore’s office. Perhaps they would even be expelled; dueling was forbidden in the corridors, of course. “You know, I think I’ll just…” he purred with a positively wicked grin, letting the time turner slip through his fingertips, falling almost to the floor before he caught the golden chain, saving it by a second.

 

Ron growled, attempting to shake off Hermione’s iron grip on the back of his robes. “’Ermione, get off!” he grunted, making a swipe at the gleeful Malfoy that fell short. “Lemme at him, come on, Harry…”

 

Harry ignored his best friend, wand still pointed directly at Draco’s face. “Give it here, Malfoy.” He repeated, although there was a note of urgency in his voice. Draco, of course, picked up on this, one blond eyebrow arching.

 

“Control your pet, mudblood.” He snapped his fingers at Hermione, voice cold. “No, I don’t think I will. Now, put your wand down and let me walk back to my common room, or I will tell Dumbledore about this little trinket, among others.” He drawled, running one hand through his slick, white blond hair. Draco had never cared to grow it out, unlike his father.

 

Harry’s face drained of color, picking up on his little jab. ‘ _He knows, he knows about the map.’_ He thought desperately, touching one hand to Hermione’s shoulder. Of course, she most likely had already picked up on this, and it was with a little nod of her head that Harry’s suspicions were confirmed. “Let him go, Hermione. He isn’t worth it.” Harry muttered to his friend, turning his back on Malfoy. Without a word, Hermione let go of Ron’s robes, the latter scowling as he rubbed his neck where they had dug in.

 

“There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Draco jeered, toying with the time turner in his long fingers, watching the trio walk away with maliciousness in his eyes. “I knew you were bloody idiots, but I never realized you were a bunch of cowards.”

 

It happened so quickly that Draco barely had time to register that Ron had turned around and stuck his foot out, tripping the pale boy. Draco fell, sprawling on the cold stone floor, hitting his nose hard and making a noise of pain. But that wasn’t what made Hermione gasp as she and Harry turned around, Ron’s expression one of victory. “Serves him right, the blond haired bastard.” He said savagely, hoisting his bag over his shoulder as Draco whimpered on the floor.

 

“Ron, you _idiot_!” Hermione moaned, her eyes glued to the boy on the floor.

 

“Oh come on, ‘Mione. You can’t seriously have sympathy for him?” He said in exasperation, rolling his eyes as he turned to look at Hermione, nudging Harry with a grin. “Bleedin’ daft, that one.” He muttered, earning a chuckle from Harry.

 

Hermione whacked the both of them on the back of the head, pointing towards what she was clearly so anxious about. “Look.” She whispered, ignoring the noise of surprise that echoed from their lips as they rubbed their heads sheepishly.

It became clear at once as to why Hermione was giving Ron such grief about tripping Malfoy, for the weight of his action was now shattered in a million pieces on the floor: the time turner had fallen out of Draco’s hands as he fell.

 

But that wasn’t why she was pointing.

 

Golden tendrils of smoke was rising from the shards, twisting and writhing like snakes in the air around them, a sound like a clock gone haywire emanating from the pile of gold in front of them. At first it took their breath away, the four wizards frozen watching the dance of the translucent ribbons, captivated by their beauty. That is, until one of the tendrils whipped out and wrapped around Hermione’s wrist, digging into her skin like rope as it pulled her in towards where the shards had started to spin violently, forming a sort of whirlpool of which there was no bottom, the stone where they had been a minute before devoured by the ruins.

 

“Hermione!” Ron and Harry shouted in unison as she kicked and struggled, trying to get out of its vice like grip, her feet scuffing on the floor. But it was to no avail. The two boys surged forwards, but at once more tendrils flashed and twisted around their midriffs, squeezing painfully and hindering their progress forward. “Ron, what did you do?” Harry shouted at his ginger friend, barely noticing that a fourth tendril had grabbed Draco, the Slytherin yelling curses and swears at the thing, trying to get it off of him. “I don’t bloody know!” Ron bellowed, attempting to break it.

 

And as soon as it had begun, the storm stopped. Silence reigned around the entrance hall, for the four of them were nowhere in sight. They were gone, just whispers in the wind.

 

~~~~

 

“ _Mr. Black_.” Professor McGonagall’s sharp tone rang through the air of the quiet transfiguration classroom, causing the handsome boy’s head to shoot up at once, frozen in reaching out for a note that James was about to pass him.

 

“Yes, Professor?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, his tone very distinctly giving off the impression that he had no idea why she was calling on him in such a way. “Do you need something?” he asked with a charming smile, his dark curls framing his slightly haughty face, knowing full well that Remus’s eyes were digging into the back of his head, giving off a clear enough message. _Don’t let her see the note._

 

“No, but it appears that you and Mr. Potter are in need of detention. Passing notes in class, are we?” the beady eyed woman asked as she glanced between the two troublemakers, the rest of their class erupting into silent and not so silent giggles.

 

“As if we would ever do such a thing, Professor.” Sirius said in outrage, deep offense in his tone as he placed a hand over his heart, shocked that she would ever even suggest a thing.

“How _dare_ you!” James chimed in, winking at one of the giggling girls as he ruffled his hair slightly, putting on a show purely for their benefit, as Sirius knew only too well. “I mean, Professor,” he amended hastily at the look she gave him, throwing a glance at Sirius. “It’s not as if we, two _hard working, studious_ students would ever dream of passing such a vile thing as notes in your wonderful class.” He stressed, expression still one of disappointment that she failed to realize this.

 

“Really, Professor.” Sirius shook his head with sadness, looking down at his lap, pretending to appear downcast while his fingers hurriedly folded up the parchment as quickly as he could and shoved it into a pocket in his robes. “I expected more of you.” He sighed, shaking his head.

 

Peter nearly had his fist shoved in his mouth to prevent himself from laughing, ignoring Lupin’s hiss off “ _Shut up_.”

 

A wry smile nearly crossed Professor McGonagall’s lips as she watched their antics with a shake of her head, turning her back on the pair. “Stay after class, Potter. You too, Black.” She said as she walked back to the front of the room, just as the bell rang to announce the break for lunch.

 

“Whatever you wish, my _dear_.” Sirius said with a wink and a flourish, nearly sending Peter into hysterics as Remus closed his eyes for a moment, although his lips twitched at the joke that only the four of them shared.   
  
“We’ll meet you in the entrance hall.” Lupin murmured as he and the rest of the class gathered up their belongings, emptying out with the buzz of chatter, all heading towards the Great Hall. James nodded, throwing an arm lazily around Sirius’s shoulders and striding up to McGonagall’s desk, a swagger in his stride that always seemed to be there.

 

“So, Professor. Are we free to go?” Sirius asked with a bat of his long eyelashes, leaning against James ever so slightly. “No, Mr. Black.” McGonagall said with a shake of her head, her voice dry. “You both have detention. Friday evening at six o’clock, sharp.”   
  
“But Professor, we have Quidditch practice!” James said in outrage, lips parting in disbelief. “I am aware that you have Quidditch practice, Mr. Potter. But that doesn’t change the fact that you now have detention with me instead. You may go now, both of you.” She said with an arch of her eyebrows, turning to a pile of papers on her desk, the two boys clearly dismissed.

 

James left the classroom fuming, with Sirius right behind him. “Can’t believe she pulled us out of practice…the nerve…” he muttered, his lips arranging into a scowl. “I mean, that’s right before our match against Slytherin!” He protested, glancing up at Sirius who was slightly taller than him. “I know, Prongs.” He said with a crinkle of his nose, annoyance evident as he followed James down the flight of steps that led to the entrance hall where Peter and Remus were waiting for them, rolling his eyes.

 

But Remus and Peter were not alone in the entrance hall.

 

Four strangers stood there looking completely bewildered, three of them wearing Gryffindor robes and one of them Slytherin ones, the latter having blood on his pale face. However, it wasn’t the Slytherin that James’s eyes were drawn to.

 

One of the other boys looked exactly like him, with jet black hair and glasses, except that he had green eyes, not brown. The same expression lay mimicked on his face as James’s: shock.

 

“Hey Jamie, he looks just like you.” Sirius whispered as he nudged James hard in the ribs, glancing back and forth between the two boys.

  
“Yeah, Padfoot. I know.” James whispered hoarsely, swiping his tongue across his suddenly dry lips.


	2. Mirror Images

[author’s note: I’m writing this after the war, in an au where everything was the same but Dumbledore didn’t die. I hope that clears a little bit up J]

 

At first Harry had thought that nothing had happened, that they hadn’t gone anywhere and that the whole thing was just a nightmare, a daydream, a trick of the light. The four of them had watched the usual crowd of students pour down the stairs, prepared to join them, to chat about their run-in with Malfoy with Ginny and Luna. But it wasn’t until Harry caught sight of a familiar face in the crowd that his heart sunk down in his stomach, numbness filling his body. “Ron. Hermione.” He hissed, nudging them both as the face of Remus Lupin appeared in the crowd next to Peter Pettigrew, the pair apparently waiting for something.

 

Lupin, Harry had to admit, looked good. His face was much more youthful, much less lined; the effects of the war had not yet taken their toll on him. He was built the same way as Ron with the same lanky figure, although Lupin’s hair was a sandy brown instead of red. Pettigrew, much to Harry, Ron and Hermione’s surprise, was short and skinny, as opposed to being chubby as they thought previously. Even as a teenager he looked rather mousey, but Harry supposed that was something that just couldn’t be helped. The two of them hadn’t noticed Harry yet, and in hindsight this was probably good. The last thing he wanted right now was to be mistaken for James.

 

Hermione’s hand was placed over her mouth, looking completely astonished. “It’s Lupin.” She whispered, her brain going into overdrive. “But why on earth are we here, of all times?” she asked with a tilt of her head, turning back towards Harry and Ron, looking completely bemused.

 

“I don’t know.” Harry breathed back, frowning slightly, glancing at Lupin once more, who seemed to be deep in conversation with Peter, checking his watch every few seconds.

 

Ron, however, rounded on Malfoy, narrowing his eyes “That’s it, ferret face.” He seethed quietly, making sure that he wasn’t loud enough for Lupin to hear. “Get us back to our Hogwarts _now_.” He said savagely, raising a fist threateningly.

 

“If I could, I would, Weasel.” Malfoy snapped, holding his hands up defensively. “If you hadn’t tripped me in the first place, then we wouldn’t even be having this problem.” He snipped, rolling his pale grey eyes, a bit distracted for a moment by the sight of Harry chewing on his lower lip thoughtfully.

 

But Ron’s snarky reply was cut short as they heard the sounds of more people coming down the stairs, although it sounded less like a stampede of elephants and more like a normal person or two.

 

Harry inhaled sharply as he saw exactly who it was coming down the stairs and felt his stomach take a rather unpleasant turn, heart beating a little faster. It was James, it was his _dad_ , his very much alive teenage father. It took a second before James caught sight of him, and the effect was instantaneous for the look on James’s face resembled a slap to the face, which wasn’t exactly the look Harry was going for when meeting his father for the first time. He could see Sirius’s head going back and forth between the two of them, and it made Harry want to find somewhere to hide. He had to remind himself that these weren’t the Marauders he knew, they weren’t the ones he had watched die. They were teenagers at the height of their stupidity, not adults he knew he could turn to when he needed to.

 

However, he was saved from any interaction with James and Sirius as the large doors to the Great Hall swung open, a much younger Dumbledore striding through them, followed by Professor McGonagall, both of whom seemed very concerned, although the former had a glint of curiosity in those striking blue eyes. “What is going on here?” Dumbledore asked quietly, his gaze directed on Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco.

 

Sirius and James slinked over towards where Lupin and Peter were standing, for once at a loss for words. “I agree with Dumbledore.” James murmured in a low, hollow voice, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to where the headmaster was standing. “What exactly is going on here?” He questioned, looking more at Remus than anyone else. “If you shut up, we could listen to what they’re saying.” Remus muttered back, trying to keep his voice as soft as possible.

 

Harry faltered slightly as he met Dumbledore’s gaze, unsure of how to really explain their predicament. Time was not something to be meddled with, and he wasn’t exactly sure how this would affect the future. “It’s a bit of a long story, Professor.” He said after a moment, earning an earnest nod from Ron and Hermione. Draco, however, looked sullen, his arms crossed over his chest and a distinct aura of unpleasantness about him.

 

Dumbledore looked between the four of them, the pause long, his gaze lingering on Harry for a fraction of a second longer than the others. “Well, I have all the time in the world. I would like to hear this story of yours in my office, if you wouldn’t mind.” He said evenly, bowing his head slightly.

 

The four nodded, Draco albeit a little reluctantly. “Yes, sir.” Hermione said with a hesitant smile, elbowing Ron in the ribs as a cue to follow the headmaster. Harry grabbed Draco’s arm a little roughly, making sure that he followed, of course.

 

“And you four.” Dumbledore called over his shoulder, a wry smile on his lips as he looked back at the Marauders, a twinkle in his eyes. “Yes, you better come as well.” He nodded at Professor McGonagall, who herded the four boys out of the entrance hall after Dumbledore and the others.

 

“Tell me, how come it’s always you four?” Professor McGonagall asked Peter, Remus, Sirius and James with exasperation, her tartan robes swirling as she walked with the boys.

 

“Believe me, professor. I’ve been asking myself the same thing for seven years.” Remus said to McGonagall with a dry chuckle, shaking his head as he looped his arm through Sirius’s outstretched one.

 

~~~~

 

Dumbledore’s office was exactly as Harry had remembered it, except now it was more crowded than any other time when Harry had been in it. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, the tips of his long fingers pressed together as he stared intently at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco. Harry was uncomfortably aware of James’s stare, doing his best to try not to turn around, which was proving to be extremely difficult. At last Dumbledore spoke, breaking the silence in the room. “I suggest you start from the beginning, perhaps with your names, if you may.”

 

Hermione shot a glance at Harry, biting on her lower lip. Even now, the future could be altering, but there was no way to know. With a deep breath, she spoke, her voice a little cautious. “My name is Hermione Granger.” She said speaking more towards Dumbledore than anyone else in the room. He was a clever man, and would more than likely have his own suspicions of how they had gotten there, perhaps even who they were.

 

“I’m Ronald Weasley. Well, Ron. Only my brothers call me Ronald, or ‘Mione when she’s…” Ron rambled cutting off when he felt a sharp jab in his side, this time from Harry, a sheepish smile on his lips as he rubbed his side. James chuckled softly from where he was standing; Ron reminded him a bit of Peter.

 

“Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.” Draco said in a low, cold tone, his grey eyes flashing, his pale pointed face suddenly so like his father’s in the low lighting of Dumbledore’s office.

 

“Malfoy?” Sirius suddenly burst out, his eyes narrowing as he took a step forward, now suddenly aware of why the Slytherin boy looked so familiar, slight color in his high cheekbones. “Blimey, that greasy-haired, Slytherin git’s related to you?” He interjected with a raise of his eyebrows, cut off from saying anything more by a warning hand on his shoulder from Lupin.

 

“Yes, and what’s it to you?” Draco’s lip curled, casting an eye of cruel amusement over Sirius, his arrogance enough to rival even Sirius’s. Padfoot opened his mouth to say something very particular to Draco, but Remus clamped his hand firmly over Sirius’s mouth and looked slightly apologetically to Draco, who responded with a huff of annoyance.

 

“And you?” Dumbledore looked at Harry, blue eyes slightly intimidating to look at straight on. Instead, Harry chose to look at a point right over Dumbledore’s shoulder, his mouth slightly dry. “I’m Harry. Just Harry.” He said quickly, hoping that Dumbledore didn’t press him. Thankfully he didn’t.

 

Dumbledore nodded slowly, looking up at Professor McGonagall. “It seems that these four have had a rather taxing day. I will not press you for more information as of now. Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, if you could be so kind to lead our guests to the Great Hall for some well-deserved lunch, I would much appreciate it. Minerva, if you could get Mr. Avery from Slytherin house to escort Mr. Malfoy around the castle and to a dormitory, that would be best as well. Ms. Granger can room with Ms. Evans.” He said with a dismissive nod, making it quite clear that they were all free to go.

 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all got up and walked towards the Marauders, who greeted them with matching grins, the kind that made you unsure of whether they were going to throw a firecracker down your shirt or plant one right on you when you least expected it. “Let’s go get lunch. I’m _starving_.” Ron said, bouncing on the balls of his feet as his stomach gave a loud growl, earning a laugh from Harry and a hit on the upper arm from Hermione. “Looks like some things never change.” Harry grinned at Hermione who sighed, muttering something along the lines of ‘boys…’

 

Sirius nodded in appreciation to Ron’s sentiment, a grin splitting across his lips. “Hear, hear.” He said loudly and without further ado linked arms with Ron and Harry, half skipping, half dragging him out of the room, winking at James in a sort of way that said ‘next time, love.’

 

“I think you mean ‘dear, dear.’” Peter muttered to James and Remus, scurrying out of the room after the trio to avoid a swat from James who shook his head, arching an eyebrow at Hermione and Draco. “Aren’t you two coming?” he asked, running a hand through his hair that only succeeded in messing it up further.

 

“I thought it was ladies first.” Hermione replied dryly, gesturing for James and Remus to go out before her. “She’s right, you know.” Lupin grinned, flicking James upside the head. “I forgot that your ego needed to go a full ten minutes before you did.” He teased, the corners of his warm brown eyes crinkling.

 

“Well if none of you are going to move…” Draco drawled irritably, pushing past them all with a sour expression, the sounds of his footsteps dying away as he too made his way to the great hall. “Git, isn’t he?” James remarked with a shake of his head, striding through the doorway with Hermione and Remus in tow. “Some things never change.” Hermione echoed Harry’s earlier sentiment, smiling to herself as they descended the staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eh i was going to introduce lily in this chapter, but i'll save it for the next
> 
> sorry for the wait! i'm going to try to update every week, which will make it easier for me as I am extremely busy. But if you guys have any suggestions for what you would like to happen or what pairings you would like to see, feel free to comment them below :) this chapter was more of a transition, but don't worry. the good stuff is coming!
> 
> ily guys


	3. Chapter Three: A Match Made in Heaven

 

Chapter Three: A Match Made in Heaven

 

It had been a couple days since they had arrived at Hogwarts, and those few days had been interesting to say the least. Between adjusting to lessons, people, and the flow of the school, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in over their heads.

 

Rumors had been festering through the school about the four strangers who had appeared out of nowhere…almost like magic. Harry, of course, was used to this sort of thing, but it was all new for Ron and Hermione, both of whom found themselves the unfortunate victims of hisses in the hallways and questions thrown at them every five minutes, even in the loo. Soon enough, however, a welcome distraction arrived in the form of the very first Quidditch match of the school year: Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

 

James had practically pissed himself with excitement at the prospect of the upcoming match, grinning and bouncing his leg up down whenever they were in class with that nervous, reckless energy that Harry found so familiar. As the team captain, he had been calling practices as much as he could, much to Sirius’s annoyance. After a particularly wet and muddy training session, the two marched into the Great Hall, covered in dirt but looking rather pleased with themselves. Harry shared a grin with Ron; the gleam in James’s eye reminded him of a certain Gryffindor keeper who shared a love for training all hours of the day and night.

 

“Well you two look like the cats that caught the cream.” Lupin remarked dryly as Sirius and James took a seat on either side of him, across from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Peter was sitting a little farther down the table, chatting fervently with a group of girls. “Slytherin will have no chance.” James said smugly as he grabbed a helping of food, sending a wink towards Hermione. “Don’t underestimate them, James.” Lupin warned, rolling his eyes as Sirius shook out his hair, somewhat like a wet dog, before promptly flopping down and resting his head in Remus’s lap. “Reeeeemusssssssss,” he whined, moving Lupin’s long fingered hands to tangle in his messy hair. “Don’t be such a spoil sport.” He pouted, a twinkle in his eyes as he glanced up at the sandy haired boy, who chuckled softly but obliged, running his fingers through Sirius’s hair.

 

Harry watched this exchange without comment, his gut twisting as his saw the two men who had not yet been twisted and hurt, finding a rather sour taste in his mouth, looking away for a moment. Hermione, of course, noticed this, throwing him a signature ‘we’ll talk later’ look, rolling her eyes at James’s wink but unable to help a little smile tugging on her lips.

 

With a clear of his throat, James jabbed Sirius sharply in the side, noticing that for a second everyone seemed to be staring at the two, flashing him a warning out of the corner of his eye. Sirius made a noise of complaint, but sat up anyway, leaning slightly against Remus anyway, regardless of James’s silent warning. It wasn’t as if Remus minded, of course. “You lot better be coming to the game tomorrow, otherwise I’ll…”

 

James trailed off as his gaze landed on a striking redhead sitting a little farther down the Gryffindor table, distracted by none other than Lily Evans, the one that got away. Or rather, the one that just didn’t care. She was gorgeous, with pale, porcelain skin covered in freckles and long, fiery red hair that fell in waves down her back. But the most lovely thing about her was her eyes; beautiful green orbs that twinkled and danced with laughter and mischief, even if she was telling him off for one thing or another. There wasn’t really anyone else in the world like Lily Evans, James decided, and so she must become his, naturally.

 

“Here we go again.” Peter sighed, shaking his head as the group noticed James’s sudden lack of attention, sharing looks with Remus and Sirius that seemed to have been practiced a million times. “That’s Lily Evans. James’s been mooning over her since first year!” Sirius murmured to the trio with a wicked grin, some of his hair falling into his slightly arrogant face. Lupin coughed slightly.

 

“I’m staying in her dorm!” Hermione murmured back, a smile lighting up her face as she turned towards the handsome boy, sending a wave in Lily’s direction. “I can see why James is obsessed—she’s wonderful.” She grinned, snapping her fingers under James’s nose, an amused look on her face. “I have NOT been mooning over her.” James said crossly, turning his head back to his friends, although he stabbed his pie with a little more vigor than necessary.

 

~~~~

 

On the other side of the Great Hall, Draco Malfoy was sitting with a group of Slytherin boys, watching the proceedings at the Gryffindor table with his cold grey eyes, barely touching his food. While perhaps the Gryffindors found themselves enjoying their stay so far, he hated every minute of it. Slytherin House was a hierarchy, a system where those who were weak got pushed down and those who sought power fought for it, and while he had earned his place in the future, it was yet to be determined here. In the past couple of days, he had already had to duel more than once, and the results weren’t pretty, but thankfully he was.

 

As Dumbledore had told him, a Slytherin boy roughly his own age introduced him to his dormitory and the common room, as if he didn’t know where it was. The boy’s name was Avery, a darkly handsome man who had a charm about him, something that resembled the allure Blaise had carried. But Draco knew better than to get involved in this reality. Hell, he wasn’t supposed to be here.

 

In fact, it should have never turned out this way.

 

Draco remembered the year before Hogwarts so painfully well, the year where his childish excitement about Boy-Who-Lived was impossible to get over, where all he could mention to anyone who would listen was how he couldn’t wait to meet _Harry Potter._ He wouldn’t just be Lucius Malfoy’s son any longer, he wouldn’t be his mother’s doll. He expected the world out of Harry Potter, ready to invite him over for holidays and vacations, to start Hogwarts and meet _him._ All Draco wanted was a friend, someone to laugh with, to play with, to spend time with and to share everything with.

 

And then he met Harry Potter.

 

He remembered that day too, the day where he held out his hand to the boy with jet-black hair and striking green eyes, a crooked smile on his lips as he offered his friendship, offered everything to him.

 

And Harry Potter turned him down.

 

No one saw Draco crying in the boy’s bathroom on the second floor, all of his visions smoldering in a simmering fire, the childish excitement replaced by malevolence, by anger.

 

And no one would ever know.

 

Draco felt a nudge in his side and tore his gaze away from Harry Potter, glancing up at Avery, the boy’s eyes somewhat kind. “You good, mate?” he asked quietly, one eyebrow raised in question.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Draco swallowed, nodding with a thin-lipped smile.

 

~~~~

 

James had felt a little guilty telling Sirius off at lunch, but he couldn’t help it. He knew people had been staring at him and Remus, and James hated it. Besides, Remus was quiet enough; the last thing that he needed were a bunch of people picking on him for one reason or another. He wasn’t exactly sure of the time, but the common room was empty and the fire was dying, so he guessed that it was late enough. The dark haired boy was curled up in one of the comfy armchairs in front of the fire, playing with a snitch, his pajamas cozy flannel, unable to sleep. Perhaps it was because of the match tomorrow, or perhaps it was for another reason.

 

“Big game tomorrow.” Sirius’s voice floated down from the staircase as he made his way down the stairs, pausing to lean against the tapestry-covered wall, one eyebrow arched as he noticed the snitch James was playing with. “Where’d you get that?”

 

“Nicked it.” James said casually, glancing up at the arrogant boy, his glasses slightly askew on his nose. “Hey, mate, about earlier…” he trailed off, biting down on his lower lip, brow furrowing slightly as he closed the snitch in his fist.

 

Sirius frowned, walking over to where James was sitting and plopping down on the sofa, stretching out like a cat. It was a second before he said anything, his words for once rather, well, serious. “You didn’t need to do that.” He said in a low, hollow voice, a slight bitterness, his eyes avoiding James’s questioning brown ones and looking at the fire instead. “You know damn well that I don’t care if anyone sees me and Moony together.” He said sharply, his features suddenly resembling those of his family so well, the change making James a little unnerved. “I--,” James tried to say, but his voice died, lost in his throat as Sirius plunged blindly on, a twisted smile on his perfect lips.

 

“If you could see the jealousy on your face every time you looked at me and Remus you’d have a right start. Think you were Snivellus or something.” Sirius said softly, arching an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the stunned James. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” James said a little too quickly, swiping his tongue across his very dry lips, one hand running through his hair out of nervous habit. The fire crackled softly in front of them, as if it was setting the stage for some story yet to play out. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had a thing for Moony.” Sirius mumbled, hugging his long legs to his chest, turning his head away from James.

 

“No—come on, mate.” James protested, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips as his left hand gripped on a nearby pillow, punching it absently. “It’s not that. You’re already /with/ him anyway.” He muttered scathingly, throwing his head back so it hit the arm of the couch, exposing his pale neck. Sirius chuckled softly, although it was dry, as if the humor had been drained out of him, the usual air of wicked elegance gone as he glanced at his best friend, biting the corner of his lip as he paused. “I’m not with Moony; I’m fucking him. There’s a difference.” Sirius said with a smirk, shifting slightly as he lounged on the couch. “Look at me, Prongs.” He said in a whisper, eyes catching on the hollow of James’s exposed throat, lingering for perhaps a little too long. It would be so easy…but it wasn’t the right time. It never was.

 

“Don’t let me get in the way of what you want.” Sirius said with a shrug of his shoulders as James turned to look at him slowly, the latter’s eyes ringed with dark circles, his face pale but his cheeks flushed with color. “Now go to sleep, mate, or we’re going to loose /ass/ to Slytherin.” He said with the ghost of a grin, unfolding his body from the couch and standing up, his back turned as James offered a small smile, his eyes following the other boy’s motions.

 

But Sirius moved toward James, the corners of his eyes crinkled in a smile that meant more than could ever be put into words, pressing the softest kiss to the corner’s of James’s mouth. It was just a brush of lips – a lazy, careless gesture that sent sparks racing through James’s body, the warmth of Sirus’s mouth gone as soon as it had come, the long-haired boy disappearing up the staircase to the dormitories.

 

“That’s the thing, Padfoot.” He breathed softly, his glasses in danger of falling off the edge of his nose. “I want you.”

 

~~~~

 

Saturday morning came quickly, almost too quickly for James Potter. He had awoken far too early, sprawled out on one of the couches in the Gryffindor common room, the sunlight blinding as he struggled to find his glasses that had fallen off sometime in the middle of the night. Time seemed to pass too fast, one of those funny moments where the thing you dreaded the most arrived with impending force, almost knocking you off your feet when all you needed was desperately to stand still. Soon, too soon James was walking down to the Great Hall where the rest of the team was gathered, wolfing down as much breakfast as he could get, barely paying attention to anyone that attempted to talk to him. His brain was a mess, his stomach was churning…he felt sick.

 

“James!” Someone’s harsh voice cut through his blurry vision, eyes focusing on the team captain, a burly seventh year by the name of Eric Reagan. “Time to go down to the pitch, mate.” James nodded, getting up wordlessly as he waved a goodbye to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus and Peter, his lips probably arranging themselves into more of a grimace than a smile. And just like that the team had left the Great Hall, making their way towards the Quidditch pitch where soon the rest of the school would gather, the doors slamming behind the red and gold players.

 

“What’s up with him this morning?” Ron asked as he watched James and Sirius leave, furrowing his brow as he bit into a meaty sausage, nudging Lupin’s arm. “I don’t know.” Remus frowned slightly, lines appearing in his forehead as he looked down, as if he was glancing at the copy of the Daily Prophet that he had been perusing over. In truth, he did know exactly why James was off, and it was eating him alive, an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach. Sirius had recalled their rather heated conversation to him last night in a murmur to not wake Peter, his lips brushing Remus’s neck with every word, every syllable.

 

But as the school buzzed and chattered around him, Remus couldn’t help the feeling that something about this match was not right, that there was something lurking within the crowd of students and pulsed and pushed their way out of the Great Hall, sweeping Remus and the others up with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been exactly a month since i updated! sorry for the wait, but i've been over my head in work. 
> 
> hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter... it took me a while to formulate but i'm very happy with the way it turned out. i LOVE the #drarry angst that's simmering...just you wait until you see how that's gonna turn out. 
> 
> the next chapter will pick up with the match itself, as i got lazy and couldn't be bothered to write it in time.
> 
> keep leaving kudos and comments for me! they make my day & let me know that i'm doing an ok job so far :) 
> 
> if you have any suggestions for pairings/plots that you would like to see, please tell me! i'd love to know.
> 
> i'll have the next chapter out within the next month -- just in time for fantastic beasts!
> 
> love you all

**Author's Note:**

> bear with me guys, this is my first time writing fanfic!!
> 
> anywho, i'm very excited to see how this is going to turn out, and i hope you all enjoy it :)


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